Up until recently, if you weren’t in the industry the name Plasencia would probably not have rung a bell, yet without doubt you have been smoking a cigar they made or at least tobacco they grew. Five generations of tobacco growers, owners of three major factories and an octopus in the industry as Jonathan Drew calls them endearingly, since they have their hands in anything. Everybody and their mother buys their tobacco, a lot of brands have cigars made by Plasencia and now they are ready to make their name a household name for cigar smokers.

Nestor Plasencia sr never produced cigars under his own name because he didn’t want to compete with his customers which is a noble idea but almost any factory produces private labels for others and still produce cigars for their own company too and why not? It’s double the margin. Plasencia tested the water in Europe with the 1898 and the Reserve Organica lines and decided to hit the American market too with a few new blends, of which this is the first to hit the shelves.

I love this box pressed figurado and it’s huge, 7×58 , with a dark, chocolate like, wrapper that has a little oil. The thick rings, there are three in total, are well printed. Lets start at the foot, a small golden ring with black outlines and black letters saying Alma Fuerte. The gold really pops, that is very difficult to print and it shows its a high quality job. Then the normal ring, matte black with the same popping golden letters in a P logo and the name Plasencia. Then a small ring above that, black with the golden P logo in a circle around it. The shape is awesome, the cigar feels evenly packed, it’s just mouth watering. The aroma is mild, it reminds me a little of saw dust.

I cut the cigar to find a perfect cold draw. The taste I get is spicy, herbal tobacco. After lighting I taste coffee, earth and spicy herbs like nasturtiums. The cigar is very peppery, strong Nicaraguan pepper. After a third I taste the pepper but underneath I taste a little bit of chocolate. Halfway I taste also some wood and herbs with the pepper, the chocolate has gone. The final third starts a bit floral but with spices, pepper and a faint vanilla. All of a sudden the pepper gains strength again.

The draw is flawless and the light gray ash is firm. The smoke is white, thick and there is plenty of it. The burn is nice and straight. This cigar is well balanced, it’s a medium full bodied cigar, full flavored. The smoke time is two hours and forty five minutes.

Would I buy this cigar again? It’s expensive so it won’t be a every day cigar but for special occasions yeah, it will rival with an Opus X or Padron 1964.